Sometimes I Ching readings will be wonderfully on target. These happy occurances not only answer the questions, but also help us to understand and remember the meanings of the hexagrams. I am suggesting that people share with us here any answers you feel were particularly right on. I'll start by sharing a throw I got yesterday.
(Special thanks to Jerry for inspiring the thread title!)

My neighbor was feeling agitated because her husband had been so short tempered she wondered if he even wanted to continue the relatinship. We tossed the coins and received 49.1 - 31

49. Revolution

49.1 encouraged staying calm , emphasizing change (splitting up) should be undertaken only when nothing else could be done.

31. Influence, Wooing

We took this to mean that if she remained calm things would quiet down and their romance would get back on track.

Now the fun part. 49.1 literally reads, "Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow" So what does that mean? Well, as it turned out, that night her husband came home with an apology and a box of MILK (as in "cow") chocolets wrapped in YELLOW papers.
After a bit of WOOING she let him INFLUENCE her and all is well.

well, i was looking to turn in my lease vehicle for early termination..i had six more months, but a letter had come saying i was qualified to get out of the old lease and get something new. i figured it was worth a shot, but i had my eye on something pricey and my numbers that icould spend had no leeway. i asked yi if i should bother going in, last day of month. it said 30.2 >14

i thought that was a perfect reading for making a deal leading to a great posession. there were many hours of finagling, but i got the deal i wanted ultimately because it was end of month and the needed to get rid of stock. at one point in the whole process, i was so weary, i wanted to leave. i went aside and called my daughter and asked her to throw coins for me. she read me the coin throws and she didnt eve have to go get the book, it was 35.0..i went back in and closed the deal

well, i was looking to turn in my lease vehicle for early termination..i had six more months, but a letter had come saying i was qualified to get out of the old lease and get something new. i figured it was worth a shot, but i had my eye on something pricey and my numbers that icould spend had no leeway. i asked yi if i should bother going in, last day of month. it said 30.2 >14

i thought that was a perfect reading for making a deal leading to a great posession. there were many hours of finagling, but i got the deal i wanted ultimately because it was end of month and the needed to get rid of stock. at one point in the whole process, i was so weary, i wanted to leave. i went aside and called my daughter and asked her to throw coins for me. she read me the coin throws and she didnt eve have to go get the book, it was 35.0..i went back in and closed the deal

Last week I had a little tiff with my girlfriend. I thought she had said something which I felt insulted by. Nothing was said, but it was clear I was upset. When I got home, I asked what was that about, and got 38.6. That calmed me down quickly!

Next time we met, we discussed it briefly and soon got back on track.

Another lesson in how faulty perceptions can be!

Boy, these examples are great!

Michiline, your experience with 30.2 highlights for me it's meaning of holding to the middle way. You weren't just getting what you wanted, but the arrangement was also benefitting the car people.

Too funny Pakua, 38.6 "one sees one's companion as a pig covered with dirt". I'm glad you got to the I Ching before you said anything aloud!

I got 38 Opposition myself in a toss here recently. I asked the I Ching, "Who was Budhha?" At first I couldn't make a connection but then I remembered Budhha's story began with his leaving his father's house. 37. Family is family. Leaving Family, moving on from 37 brings us to 38 Opposition: "Thus amid all fellowship the superior man retains his individuality." 38 is about recognizing opposites, the yin and yang and bringing them into balance.

Interesting that all our example here have to do with finding the Middle Way.

We're sort of bogged down with the IChing on the IChing thread lately, at hexagram 26, Hexagram 26 is about studying and sharing stories as we are over here:

26. Heaven within the mountain
The image of THE TAMING POWER OF THE GREAT
Thus the superior man acquaints himself with many
sayings of antiquity
And many deeds of the past,
In order to strengthen his character thereby.

"The way to study the past [and the IChing} is not to confine oneself to mere knowledge of history but, through application of this knowledge to give actuality to the past."

Hopefully thinking about this will encourage some postings here and on the I Ching on the I Ching thread.

I asked the IChing for it's opinion of Jesed's responce to the recent emails.

I received hexagram 50.0:

"The superior man consolidates his fate
By making his position correct."

My family and i were living in New Orleans when Katrina hit. Fortunately we got out the night before the levi broke as our house was distroyed. I asked the I Ching just what the hell was that all about and received,

43.2 Breakthrough
A cry of alarm. Arms at evening and at night.
Fear nothing.

49. Revolution

Yeah, that fits.

How about Yi playing ball ?

A fool thought he?d outsmart the Yi by asking: ?How long is a string??

The Yi answered, 60: ?That depends on how long the string is.?

My daughter is a teacher and this last week I got to visit her and volunteer in her class. I was standing in the back just looking over the room, my mind drifting and - as it sometimes does when I'm not careful - it started entertaining thoughts about New Orleans and so was spiroling downward and I was beginning to feel sad. Suddenly this little 6 year old girl with long red hair appeared in frount of me. "Hi," was all she said. I actuallly FELT warmth enter my heart chakra. I felt it gradually spread out all through me. I had to abandon my morose mood and laugh!
Who was this person? Throughout the day she made a point of checking up on me. She wrote me a beautiful poem and drew me a picture ("What is your favorite pet? The clouds want to know."). When her mother came to pick her up I learned this unusual experience was typical of little Clair. The mother told me the child had friends everywhere. She'd taken her on a trip out of state recently and people the mother had never met waved to her daughter and said "Oh hi, Clair, good to see you!"
When I came home I asked the I Ching, "Who is Clair?" and I received Hexagram 4, no change lines. I was so surprised because before I've always seen "Youthful Folly" as some sort of admonishment, like, "you insolent pup, don't bother me, go do your homework!" Now, if Clair, the most gentle light filled fairy I've ever met, who literally filled my heart with love, is the personification of Hexagram 4 then I have to
reconsider my whole interpretation of the hexagram.
So now when I get hex 4, "Youthful Folly" I am no longer going to obcess about being thrown out of heaven for asking too many questions. I'm going to remember this beautiful child and hope that this hexagram is reminding me that no matter how foolish my questions and wanderings may be, in the eyes of The Master I am still dearly loved.

Hi Rosada:

What a wonderful experience!

I have never thought of Youthful Folly - #4 as being admonished - just that I don't know what I don't know and it would be a good opportunity to learn more about whatever my question is.
Naivete will be no excuse in the future and it will happen again until I learn what I need to know.

Sorry about your home - my daughter and her husband live in New Orleans. Gratefully, their home was fine - although they didn't know that for about six weeks.
They were there through the storm for their work responsibilities and I didn't hear from them for six days - extremely frightening considering what I was watching on TV.

Rosada - was your home destroyed? I hope not.

Rosalie

Beautiful story!
I read some where that children read auras (on an unconscious level) and respond to people accordingly....one angel helping another here!

I had a similar experience in my neighborhood...i was walking my dog (with a plastic bag to clean up after him!) and an old cranky woman yelled out to me that I should not let my dog near her lawn.
I was about to get nasty right back when suddenly this child was there..and she started asking me questions about my dog and saying such charming things that my whole mood changed and I felt so removed from the wicked witch I'd just encountered. and the one I almost became.

BUt just as the little girl was about to walk away, she turned and said to me: "I heard that lady yell at you."
That was it. and then she left.

wow. the "young fool" saves the day.

more and more I suspect the fool is the sage archetype in disguise.

That is some kid and a magical moment!

The sophistication and somehow a message

But - Look up the 'Fool' card in the Tarot deck - I don't do Tarot - but that card's image has a lot to it along the lines you say and more.

--Kevin

I once had an afternoon in some kind of Chinese New Age shop, and I did consults for people there. I used the Yi. But no-one came for a consult... Then I asked...?what the (bleep) is going to happen the rest of this midday??... and I received hexagram 37, line 4... What the (bleep bleep) did the Yi mean by that, I thought out loud... First I started to get in to philosophical thoughts... ?oh, it?s about borders, and this day is just a border for me or something like that... just experience yourself in staying enthousiastic in lesser times (line 4 only, as a YANG line, makes hex. 16...). Then I heared my intu?tion and connected every line with a timeframe for the rest of the midday... Line 4 was about 10 minutes past 3 in the afternoon...
I desited to let it go and moved on, red some stuff, and bited my time...

Then it became 3.10 pm... and a family of 6 came in the store... the youngest yelling, mom comphorting... READ THE JUDGEMENT AND LINE 4 OF 37, AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPEND NEXT...

Some other day I was sitting in the train, and I watched the view outside the window... Heee, heaven above... railway, euh, that?s earth below... holey... that?s 12... and BANG, the train stood still!!!!

Just some experiences. I had many!!

Frank

Kevin, very helpful observation! I have read discussions where it has been debated whether The Fool card represents hexagram 25 or hexagram 4. In this instance I would certainly agree the card illuminates my getting hexagram 4. Funny, they always talk about The Fool as having a "childlike" nature, a definition which has never given me any greater understanding. I always wondered, "What do they mean by "childlike"? Someone frustratingly naive who can't be held responcible for all the problems they cause?" Now I'll look at both hexagram 4 AND The Fool card with better knowing.

Interesting you mention children who read auras Micheline. A few months back I had a curiosity to know more about Indigo Children - the name given to the supposed "new Age" souls now incarnating. These children are said to be bringing in gifts and awareness - clairvoyance, the ability to read auras etc. - that could save the planet if we don't squelch them before they get a chance.I got into it for a week or so and then forgot all about it. Your comment has reminded me that I fervantly wished I could meet an Indigo, and now it seems my prayer was answered. Hmmm..makes me rethink my concept of prayer - to approach it not just as vague wishful thinking, but to see it as literally putting out a radio signal of some sort which will be picked up and responded to.

Well now to Rosalie and the question of our house in New Orleans. First, although we lost a bunch of stuff I know nothing I went through compares to not knowing how your daughter was for 6 days. How did you cope? It must have been like a zen intensive for you that week, I mean did you just make your mind go absolutely blank?
Anyway, my Katrina story.. being fairly new to New Orleans - less than a year - we left when it started to rain. But our roommate wished us well and decided to tough it out as he had every hurricane season. All was well, the rains calmed and the next morning, although there was water in the gutters it was no big deal. A small dog sat on our porch and the roommate let the forlorn critter in, and then since he'd been up and awake all night, the roommate went to bed. Meanwhile, the levee broke and about 5 hours later the fwllow awoke with the puppy on his chest shaking water all over him. The fellow jumped out of bed - and discovered he was in water up to his waist! As we had been remodling the house there just happened to be a door off it's hinges in the bedroom so our friend grabed it and used it as a raft to paddle himself and the dog out of the house and down the street to safety.
We were extremly fortunate. Not only did we all get out, but we had insurance. Because so many of the houses are so old there - 100 years+ - and because they had been owned by the same people for generations, many folks did not have insurance. So we were very lucky.
Thanks for asking.

Hi Rosada:

I suppose anyone from New Orleans has a story.
Are you going back? I recall from another thread that you're living near Washington now.

Coping was hard - great friends help. The kids had two cats with them and that's what I was worried about - how they'd cope if they weren't able to keep their cats. Anyway, lots of harrowing adventures for them, shot at, robbed, etc. but they are extremely resourceful and set up their own little community in the hospital and survived quite well - except for the terrible heat.
They were eventually flown to San Antonio - also floating down the street from the hospital to the airport.

Rosalie

Hi Frank,
Lillian Too - who must be the world's most prolific writer of feng shui info - put out an I Ching recently in which she explains how one can create a hexagram by noting your natural surroundings, just as you did with the train ride. Perhaps this is how readings were done originally, people just noting the circumstances, and only later developing the coin and yarrow stalk meathod.

Hi Rosalie,
I don't know if we'll ever go back to live in New Orleans - good question to ask the IChing - but we do have things in storage, so definitely there will be a return visit. Big problem is they don't have electricity going all over and they don't want to turn it on unless a certain number of houses in a block are occupied but who wants to renovate their home not knowing if the electricity will be turned on? We have a friend who put hers back together only to have the city bulldoze it. Good question for the I Ching. Meanwhile, yeah, there's a million stories in the flooded city...

"Lillian Too - who must be the world's most prolific writer of feng shui info - put out an I Ching recently in which she explains how one can create a hexagram by noting your natural surroundings, just as you did with the train ride. Perhaps this is how readings were done originally, people just noting the circumstances, and only later developing the coin and yarrow stalk meathod."

Hey Rosada, that sounds fascinating!! Have you read the book yourself yet? I'm curious to find out more, I may see if I can get hold of a copy.

I wish you the best Rosada.
I'm surprised you never asked I Ching about moving back????

Alot of people are in the situation of your friend.
Everyone is waiting to see what everyone else does.
I was down there two months ago - just awful!

What about Hex. 2 - like you wrote on the thread on Friends? Maybe you can manifest something great on your street again!!!

Rosalie

HI Matt

The book (The New I Ching) is a presentation of the "Plum Blossom" method.

It is a good introduction to that methodology

Best wishes

Hi Rosalie,
We've had so many positive experiences since coming to Washington I've felt that our stay in New Orleans was just a detour to get us here. Still your question prompted me to ask the IChing, "what would be my experience if I were to move back to New Orleans?" I received 9.6 - 5. Both hexagams refer to rain! Auugh! But also I see 9 as having to do with being of service and 5 as Waiting - I don't think there is anything for me to do there just now (I was assisting at a neighborhood afterschool program), where as here I have work.
Perhaps New Orleans for me was an opportunity to get it that the world is Responsive to our intentions, but now I can carry that lesson even into areas where it is not so obvious.
Thanks for encouraging me to think about this.

Rosada

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

The book (The New I Ching) is a presentation of the "Plum Blossom" method.

It is a good introduction to that methodology .<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>
As you can read in my review of this book (http://www.biroco.com/yijing/lilliantoo.htm) I would not recommend it. Jesed, what do you find good in this book?

Harmen.

"And let us not talk about her Yijing interpretation otherwise I really get nasty."

Harmen nasty?

Well, ehm, theoretically that is possible, no?



Or something like that. I think.

HM

Hi Harmen

I had find this book had helped many people as INTRODUCTION.

I had read your review; I agree with most of it.

In the way I see it:
a) If you judge the book at the light of the original work (as you did), is more than fault (for me, is like the image of 48.. the road is not long enough and in some aspects the pitcher is broken).
b) If you judge it at the light of introduction to incite to know better (as I did) is like 38.2: is not the perfect way to meet the methodology, of course; but at least allows you to meet with it

Best wishes

Hey Jesed, thanks for the book hint I appreciate it.

Is there any books that talk about this subject in an advanced way though? I prefer jumping in at the deep end, I absorb knowledge pretty quickly.

Its really just a case of comparing the experiences you were talking about with my own, relating, correlating and so on. I'm giving google a good going over (search ) but it would be helpful if I knew the best sources to approach. Thanks.